Learning toys for kids can significantly support a child’s development physically, socially, emotionally, and mentally.
There are SO many toys on the market that it can be a daunting task knowing which ones are right for your kiddo.
Most importantly, what learning benefits can the toy provide your precious one?
Let’s be honest, allowing kids to just be kids and have FUN is what childhood is all about.
BUT what if we can incorporate learning into the mix of all that “FUN”“?
Let’s dive in and explore the TOP learning toys that provide educational value to help kids learn playfully through using various skill sets to develop their brains.
The best part, these toys are parent-approved. 🙂
Magna-Tiles
==> Click here for the best current price <== | Ages: 3 years and up | Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
These tiles are designed to get our kids thinking creatively!
Magna tiles improve a child’s …
- Problem solving skills
- Imagination
- Critical thinking skills
- Hand-eye coordination
Each tile has magnets on its edges with the exceptional ability to easily attract and snap together the other tiles to it.
The designs are ENDLESS with the different formations your child can make from pyramids, to cubes, to geometric shapes.
Learning Goal
Kids will be exposed to learning their basic shapes through creating and stacking objects (like hexagons) as well as building complex structures using concepts of symmetry and geometry.
The magna-tiles also expose your kiddo to science and math skills by allowing them to perfect patterns, build spatial awareness, and shape recognition while enhancing their fine motor functions.
Fun Features and Tile Activities
- Includes 100 pieces with transparent colors
- The clear tiles come in different shapes, sizes, and colors
- Put the tiles into direct sunlight to emulate a fun colorful reflection
- Use the tiles through a light table
- Play with them on windows to illuminate a beautiful window decal
What Reviewers are Sharing (Pros vs Cons) …
These magna-tiles are definitely parent-approved and one of the highest rated learning toys on the market due to the FUN endless creations your child can build. It keeps kids engaged while learning.
Pros
- Strengthens fine motor skills
- Encourages shape recognition
- Great for kids of ALL abilities
- Super easy to use and connect the tiles
- Compatible with other tile magnet sets
- One of the highest quality and durable tile magnet sets on the market
Cons
- A bit pricey
Takeaway tip: If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option, here is another popular magnetic set, the Playmags 3D Magnetic Blocks (click here to learn more and for current pricing). The magnet hold isn’t quite as durable and strong as the Magna-Tiles but it is still rated as a wonderful set to start off with.
Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit
==> Click here for best current pricing <== | Ages: 3 to 5 years | Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
This educational kit is an award-winning learning game that was created to transform a child’s iPad into an inspiring online learning tool.
The interactive games boost a child’s imagination and creativity.
Learning Goal
Your child will be exposed to learning their ABC’s (also known as Phonics) and STEM activities (science, technology, engineering, and math) through hands-on learning toys.
Plus, the interactive educational games will help your child develop the following skills; communication, fine motor, drawing, social-emotional cues, color and shape recognition, and problem-solving.
Special Features
- No WiFi needed
- Helps prepare preschoolers in core subject areas
- Receive instant feedback
- Provides encouragement
What’s Included?
- Osmo base and reflector for iPad
- 38 silicone sticks and rings for letter forming
- 19 pretend cardboard costume pieces
- Silicone game play mat
- Storage to stack game pieces
- 4 educational game apps’s (ABCs, Costume Party, Stories, and Squiggle Magic)
What Reviewers are Sharing …
The ratings and reviews were VERY positive.
Parents raved how the interactive online game helps keep their child entertained while they learn.
You get high quality pieces that are cute and well packaged.
The only downfall is your kiddo will need an iPad to play the games which is NOT included.
Also, it can be expensive to download additional app games.
Osmo Genius Starter Kit
==> Click here for best current price <== | Ages: 6 to 10 years | Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Similar to the Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit which is made for preschool students, this continued learning kit is geared for children in elementary school (kindergarten to 5th grade).
The kit embraces the 5 best online games for problem-solving and fostering creativity through screen-based and hands-on learning.
The games go from beginner to expert levels and NO WiFi is needed to play.
Learning Goal
The games are tailored to a child’s needs and enhance various skill sets in problem-solving, puzzles, math, freehand drawing, listening, physics, spelling, and vocabulary.
Five Learning App Activities
- Tangram: arrange up to 150 puzzle pieces to match the shapes on the iPad screen.
- Newton: solve physics puzzles by drawing lines or placing the lines in front of the screen.
- Masterpiece: learn to draw anything that inspires you.
- Numbers: improve math skills by adding, counting, and multiplying tiles to pop the number bubbles.
- Words: learn vocabulary and spelling through images or words.
What’s Included?
- Osmo base and reflector for iPad
- Tangram pieces
- Number tiles
- Word tiles
- Stackable storage for game pieces
- 5 educational game apps’s (Numbers, Words, Tangram, Newton, and Masterpiece)
What Reviewers are Sharing …
This learning toy has received TOP reviews from online kid’s experts ranging from Wirecutter, consumer reports, and the Wall Street Journal.
In addition, parents are huge fans for this kit because they can completely modify the educational tools used to match their child’s learning to structure.
Kids enjoy the activities because it is super simple to use.
The only downfall is your kiddo will need an iPad (which is NOT included) to do these learning activities.
Elenco Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100
==> Click here for the best current price <== | Ages: 8 years and up | Overall Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Children learn by DOING and that’s exactly what this innovative STEM toy is designed to do.
Snap Circuits will educate your child about electronics through a hands-on experience.
They will have an excellent perspective about how electrical circuits work in the devices they utilize every day.
Learning Goal
Kids will have the opportunity to build with their hands and learn what it’s like to be a young engineer through this basic entry level STEM kit.
This is an engaging activity to improve fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, and allows a child to gain valuable lessons in building and following step-by-step instructions.
Important Features
- Create OVER a 100 different projects (such as a photo sensor, speaker, working circuit board, flashing light, musical doorbell, flying saucer, or an adjustable-volume siren to name a few) 🙂
- NO tools are needed
- NO soldering required
- Includes over 30 electronic parts which EASILY snap together
- The kid-friendly instruction manual is colorful, large, and SIMPLE to follow
What Reviewers are Sharing …
The fact that this toy is cost-friendly and provides one of the best hands-on learning experience for kids, makes it a TOP go-to learning toy for thousands of parents and educators.
Minor setbacks shared … you will need two AA batteries to use it (which are not included) AND the manual has no step-by-step instructions (it displays a colorful picture to build the projects).
My First Mind Blowing Science
==> Click here for the best current pricing <== | Ages: 6 years and up | Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Your child will learn the basics of science in a FUN and entertaining way.
This creative STEM kit comes with an array of popular science projects kids love from mixing acidic solutions to erupting an under-water volcano.
Learning Goal
Your child will learn the basics of how chemicals are added together and how those chemicals make reactions.
They will turn into a young scientist working with FUN science tools.
The educational experiments are created to boost a child’s intellectual curiosity and help them to develop goal-setting skills, fine motor functions, problem-solving skills, resourcefulness, and planning.
What’s Included?
- Safe kid-friendly chemicals (red cabbage, citric acid, baking soda, vegetable oil, corn starch)
- 3 colored tablets
- Cross linked polyacrylate copolymer (which is water jelly crystals)
- 2 cotton swabs
- 3 tests tubes with sand
- 3 plastic cups
- Pipette
- 2 sticks
- 2 measuring scoops
- Activity guide
11 Unique Learning Experiments
- Color changing liquids
- Dancing powders
- Test liquids to discover if it is a liquid or a base
- Make colorful jiggly crystals
- OR make BIG colorful jiggly crystals
- Mix colors with your eyes WITHOUT touching them
- Create magic ooze
- Make a fruit change color
- Make an underwater volcano
- OR make a volcano erupt with colorful lava
- Make a beautiful sunset in a test tube
What Reviewers are Sharing …
If you need a child-friendly lab kit that kids love, reviewers share this is a wonderful starter kit to expose your child to the basics of science.
Reviewers were very happy with the overall learning toy. They shared the experiments are safe, the kit is affordable, and it comes with a variety of experiments to accommodate different interests.
On the flip side, some experiments can be done without having to purchase this kit AND it’s important there is adult supervision when making the experiments with your precious one.
Plus, you will need to have the following household items handy for the experiments; water, baking flour, plate, red and blue pens, grape juice, coffee filter paper, bowl, measuring spoons and cups, spoon for stirring, and paper towels to clean-up.
Final Thoughts
Learning toys are meant to nurture your child’s creativity and imagination.
They will develop skills through positive reinforcement to learn to problem solve, build social skills, learn cause and effect, improve gross motor functions while gaining confidence and independence.
Hopefully, the learning games recommended in this post have inspired your research efforts in finding a fun and interactive learning toy for your kiddo.
If there are more educational toys you would recommend, questions you may have, or anything you’d like to add that I did not cover in this post, please feel free to comment below.
If you found this information helpful, please share by clicking the sidebar link to help another child. 🙂
As a fellow parent looking out for their most precious gift … thank you for stopping by today!
Affiliate Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to deliver the most valuable content to you.
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Good day ! It’s wonderful to see a site like this within the WA community! Great topic, a wonderful selection of toys that I have to admit so far I have not seen anywhere. Kids will be thrilled, and the best part is that Palymags is universal, boys, girls can have fun with it or they can play at the same time!
Thanks Jas! I appreciate the kind words!
I like the site I think is a lot of fun and has a lot of smart toys for kids like this one with a magnet.
Magna pads also expose your child to kids with science and math skills allowing them to perfect patterns, build spatial awareness and recognize shapes, while improving their fine motor functions this passage I like all parents should recommend your web address and products. I wish you a lot of success in your further work.
Thanks for sharing Dragan. I appreciate your feedback. 🙂
Hi there, what a wonderful website you have. You share many great ideas for learning products for kids with cerebral palsy. I used to work in home care with children who had various disabilities. I wonder if your website also includes information for children with other disabilities. I have a friend who has a son with quite severe autism, and he often expresses that he finds it hard to source much valuable content on the internet to aid with his sons learning , especially learning for fun. This young boy spends his free time listening to his cd player litening to the same song on repeat. It would be interesting to find out if there are any engaging products out there for children with autism.
Hi Julie, thanks for sharing! The site does have information for autism. Feel free to share a couple of these posts if they can add value to your friend’s son … 🙂
Sensory Toys for Autism | The Ultimate Toy Guide
Communication Book for Autism | Review Guide, What’s the Best Tool
Autism Toys | Best 12 Toys for Autistic Children
As the grandmother of 9, I love these learning tools! I feel like the Osmo kits would be a great addition to a child’s education, which is a plus in these days of on and off school shut-downs! This would also be true of the science kit while the others would certainly foster a child’s motor skills, imagination and strategic planning skills. My favorite is the Elenco Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100, which seems to me to be an ingenious and original toy, the like of which I have never seen!
The price of these things can be negated by sharing or selling them amongst the people you know who have children. The parents of my grandchildren are constantly “shuffling” as children outgrow or get bored with them (and they consequently get “shuffled back” as new children are born). We have many toys drifting around that are years old
Wonderful Cynthia! Thanks so much for sharing. It was great to hear your feedback. 🙂
Wow this is an amazing article! So many different types of toys and learning goals! It’s great to see that education really does start with how kids play, no matter who they are or what age. Play time is a place for trying new things and testing out hypotheses and the toys are your lab materials. It’s great to see there are manufacturers who care about the mental health of children and create quality tools to facilitate their mental growth
It’s great to hear from you Quentin! Thanks for stopping by to share your feedback.
Hi there and thank you for sharing such great toys for kids with learning disabilities. I know that if my nephew had still been alive, he would have loved all these toys you’ve recommended. Therapeutic toys are so good for stimulating kids with learning disabilities. My nephew loved anything sensory! I enjoyed reading this.
My condolences about your nephew